Stone Brewing Enjoy By 11.25.16

Beer Name: Enjoy By 11.25.16
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)
ABV: 9.4%
How sold: Six-packs of 12 oz. bottles; 22 oz. bottles; on draft
Where bought: Craftshack (San Diego, CA)  ****bought online
Price: $8.49 for 12 oz. bottle

Bottled on Date: October 20, 2016
Date Purchased: November 16, 2016
Date Received: December 13, 2016 (disgruntled panda....)
Date Opened/Drank: December 13, 2016
IBUs: 90

What's on the Label: "Our all-important, hop-driven quest to deliver the most devastatingly fresh IPA on the planet facilitated a paradigm shift in 2012 with the launch of Stone Enjoy By IPA. Not only did we brew this beer with more than 10 different hops, we brewed it specifically NOT to last. For this version of Stone Enjoy By IPA, we thought: 'We don't always have a filter, so why should our beer?' By skipping a step and letting this devastatingly fresh, golden-hued double IPA go unfiltered, the beer takes on a hazy appearance and its peach and tropical fruit hop aromas are intensified. So though it may sound like it, this missed step was no misstep."

What's on the Website: "Our all-important, hop-driven quest to deliver the most devastatingly fresh IPA on the planet facilitated a paradigm shift in 2012 with the launch of Stone Enjoy By IPA. Not only did we brew this beer with more than 10 different hops, we brewed it specifically NOT to last. Acclaimed for its groundbreakingly short shelf life, this intense double IPA brought forth a whole new concept of what constitutes “fresh”—guaranteeing fans the ultimate level of hoppiness. The devastatingly independent batch you have in your hands is no different. It, like its predecessors before, is a celebration and declaration of the fresh beer." Read more here!

When brewed? One-time batch. Stone Brewing makes fresh batches of a different "Enjoy By" beer for various special dates. Look for more information here!

Where distributed: Stone Brewing shipped this beer to almost all U.S. states. I could not find it in my area, so I had to buy it elsewhere. Naturally, it got to me after Thanksgiving due to the holiday rush. Check to see where this beer got shipped to!

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured clear golden into a pint glass. White to off-white head. Some lacing remains on the glass. 4.5/5

Smell (25%): Mostly tropical and citrus (tangerine, passion fruit, grapefruit), with dankness, some floral, and complementing sweet malt. 4.25/5

Taste (40%):Dank and some octane up front, then the tropical and floral hit around the middle of the drinking experience. Dankness keeps going through the aftertaste. Still a very good beer after its stated "deadline" date. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-bodied; some carbonation. Slightly dry on the tongue. Some citrus bitterness remains on the tongue. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): A great Double IPA. Due to a snafu in shipment (and the holiday season), I actually received this not only after the Thanksgiving "deadline" to enjoy this beer, but also after trying the Enjoy By 12.25.16 brew (coming up in tomorrow's post). Granted, I do not believe that drinking this beer some three weeks after the "deadline" significantly affected the drinking experience. I do think that this batch is a couple of notches below some of their prior releases in the series. 4.25/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.263/5